


A Song in Your Heart

by zestycheck (breathingfire)



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Fluff, Just lots of fluff, M/M, light usage of alcohol, post episode 50, pre suffering game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-06-26
Packaged: 2018-11-19 11:53:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11312856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/breathingfire/pseuds/zestycheck
Summary: There wasn't much to Kravitz's life other than work; it was his calling, after all.Until he met Taako.Post Chug N' Squeeze outing, Kravitz wrestles with some things he hasn't dealt with in a long time.





	A Song in Your Heart

**Author's Note:**

> It's just fluff, folks. Rated T for canon-typical language and alcohol.
> 
> Also this is the longest single work I've ever written so howzabout that

_Taako, I want to know..._

_Yeah?_

_Was this call for business or pleasure?_

_Yeah, I mean, a little bit of both._

 

Kravitz was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, replaying that night in his head. Hearing Taako's reasons for the night made him excited, if a bit confused; it's not often a mortal asks Death out to dinner for a chitchat. He wouldn't mind seeing Taako again.

It was rather unfortunate that work got in the way.

Now that's a new thought. Kravitz scowled a bit at the ceiling. For decades (centuries? He’s never kept track of time) he's put his work first. When you work as the right hand man for a literal _goddess_ , it's hard not to. Even when he's not out actually capturing bounties, he's completing paperwork or out gathering information for his next bounties. He honestly cannot remember the last time he did something that _wasn't_ job related, even as far as sleeping. He didn't need to sleep now, so what was the point? The only reason he willed the bed into existence at the moment was because he remembered lying down used to help him think. Even while he was alive, Kravitz threw everything he had into his work. It's just who he was.

Until he met Taako.

Kravitz sighed a bit, thinking about him. Ever since the crystal lab incident, Kravitz found himself thinking about him. At first, it was wondering if he made the right choice in letting them go. They _had_ saved his bacon, but they were still objectively dangerous. Then, in his quieter moments, he found himself thinking back to “ _you should've stayed handsome, my fella_ ” and Taako's threats of “tentacle-ing his dick”. He found himself thinking about those moments more than he'd like to admit.

This wasn't, of course, the first time one of his targets flirted with him, but it was usually in a vain attempt at dissuading him from taking them back to the Astral Plane. No, Taako had a self-assured manner about him, like he never thought for a second that Kravitz would actually take his soul (which was, admittedly, frustrating) but seemed to want to flirt with him _anyway_.

And then there was the fallout from Refuge. After being sent to investigate why dozens of people suddenly had thousands of deaths each, he found Taako in his shared common room, gave him his stone frequency (perhaps not entirely for professional reasons) before eventually having a meeting (a date?) with him. Which leads Kravitz to where he is now, a few days later, on his bed, staring at the ceiling, wrestling with thoughts he never imagined he'd have to deal with.

Kravitz closed his eyes. The fact of the matter is, he was not going to be able to go back to how things were before. Meeting Taako had unearthed some feelings that refused to go away; primarily that he was _lonely_. He wasn't alone, per se, but he didn't exactly spend time building friendships. He had some coworkers he was friendly with, but he had never made an effort to get to know them. Other souls tended to avoid him due to his habit of wearing his more imposing skeletal face.

Perhaps the loneliness had always been there, but he was able to ignore it by throwing his entire self into his work. Or perhaps meeting Taako simply made him realize how empty his life (undeath?) had become. In either case, this realization was not going to leave him be. He had hoped that these feelings had ended with his mortal life, but evidently not.

And, Kravitz just… _enjoyed_ Taako. He enjoyed his laugh, his weird fashion sense, even his nearly incomprehensible analogies. And he found himself wanting to spend more time with Taako.

The weight of his Stone of Farspeech against his chest suddenly became all he could focus on. He sat up and fished it out of his robes. He attuned to Taako’s frequency before he could think better of it. “Taako?” he said, unsure of himself. “Are you there?”

The room was silent for a few nerve-wracking moments before Taako's lilting voice could be heard crackling over the stone. “Kravitz, my man! What's up?”

“Ah,” he said, followed by the completely unnecessary sound of him clearing his throat. “Not… much. I was wondering if you would like to -” _How did Taako put it?_ “- hang out?”

He could practically hear Taako’s smile. “Yeah, of course, my dude! Not much is happening here either. You free, like, right now?”

Kravitz took a moment to consider the pile of paperwork on his desk. “Y-yeah, I am. I’ll be over in a few minutes.”

“See you then.”

Kravitz stood up, dismissed the bed, and summoned his “handsome face”. He found he was smiling, and just a little giddy. He waited what felt like a couple of minutes (He should really invest in a watch. And a calendar.) and summoned a rift into the Material Plane.

He stepped through, still smiling like a goof.

\--

A while later, Taako and Kravitz were enjoying the grassy quad on the moon. They were walking close together, side-by-side, and Kravitz's mind kept going back to their time at the Chug N’ Squeeze, and the feeling of Taako’s warm hand on his.

“Taako, um, may I…” _Why was this so hard?_ “May I hold your hand?”

Taako laughed, light and cascading in a way that made heat bloom in Kravitz’s chest, and entwined their fingers. “You don't have to be so formal about it, my dude.”

“Ah, it's just that you -” _Wait, best not to question it._

“... Just that I what?” Taako looked over at him quizzically.

 _Shit._ “... You didn't seem to like touching my hand last time, so I thought it would be best if I ask.” His free hand moved to rub the back of his neck automatically, a bit embarrassed.

Taako winced. “No, I… I was just surprised. Promise.” He gave Kravitz's hand an extra squeeze and rubbed his thumb against the back of his hand in reassurance. “I say shit without thinking sometimes.”

Kravitz heard the unspoken apology and smiled.

He walked Taako back to his dorm that night, still holding his hand. They made it to his door too soon. “Taako, I had a lovely time tonight,” he said, and smiled. Kravitz took the hand he was holding and gently pressed Taako's knuckles to his lips, eyes fluttering closed.

He felt the hand slip away, and he opened his eyes and met Taako's. He held that hand to his chest, his cheeks and ears burning, and looked away. “Boy, it really has been a _while_ for you, hasn't it?” He said, and laughed, a bit high-pitched and forced.

Kravitz straightened up, his own cheeks heating up. “Do people not… Did - Did I make you uncomfortable?”

Taako looked back towards Kravitz’s face, a small smile forming on his lips. “No… no, it was cute.”

There was a beat of silence before Taako leaned forward and kissed him. It was quick and chaste, just a brushing of lips, but it was still enough to make Kravitz's heart flip.

Taako put his hand on the doorknob, but looked over his shoulder to address Kravitz one last time. “You’re gonna pick where we go next time, yeah? S’long as it's not, you know, in the ghost house or whatever.”

Next time. Taako was already thinking about a next time. Kravitz smiled. “Of course. Goodnight, Taako.”

Taako flashed a small smile. “'Night, Krav,” he said, just above a whisper, and slipped inside.

Kravitz then summoned a rift, and managed to look professional until just after it closed, where he summoned his bed again and practically threw himself onto it. He gave himself a few moments to enjoy the warm, fluttering feelings, and the lingering warmth of Taako. He didn't say it, but Taako really seemed to enjoy himself. And Taako wanted to see him again! And Taako _kissed him_!

He can't remember the last time he felt like this. Heart light, a constant need to smile, feeling a song come from deep inside. Wait; a musty memory of a teenage crush. His heart had done a flip whenever he saw the baker’s son. That must be it, then.

The Grim Reaper has a crush.

Even Kravitz found that amusing. He grinned wide and covered his face with his hands, lying back on the summoned bed.

This one singular elf, this outlier among outliers, this being that by all accounts shouldn't even be _alive_ was making him giggle like a lovestruck teenager.

Gods above, was he head over heels for this elf.

His book of bounties suddenly appeared in front of him, quill moving across the page automatically. Information on a new bounty has come in. After studying the details presented to him, Kravitz stood up, stretched, and summoned his work attire before opening a rift to the bounty’s location. His “work face” obscured most of his outward displays of emotion, but there was a certain spring to his step one could pick out if they were looking for it. Thankfully, most people facing a spectre of death aren't terribly perceptive.

\--

They were on their fifth date (which were definitely dates now), strolling through Neverwinter’s marketplace after dark, holding hands and enjoying the lights and decorations as the city prepared for the Summer Solstice, which was a little over a week away. Taako was perhaps a _little_ tipsy after swiping a bottle of wine and drinking three quarters of it. Kravitz had a few sips, although he was reasonably sure alcohol wouldn't affect his flesh construct. He was still happy to just simply enjoy Taako’s presence, however.

They passed under a beautifully lit trellis, when Taako said, seemingly out of the blue, “You know, I've never been in a relationship that moved so slowly before, like, physically.”

Kravitz stopped short. He was caught off guard, so he said the only thing he could think of. “I'm… sorry?”

Taako stopped and glared at him a bit. “No, no apologies. I'm not…” He waved the mostly empty wine bottle around as he searched for the word, then seemingly gave up. “It's not… bad or anything, just… hmm, weird isn't the right word… _different!_ ” he exclaimed, wine sloshing as he gesticulated wildly. “It's just... different.”

“And usually by this point,” Taako continued, “we would've progressed to _at least_ sloppy makeouts. _But_ ,” he punctuated this by poking Kravitz in the chest, “I'm happy to go along at your pace, bubbela. 'Cuz, you know,” he blushed and looked away, voice dropping to a mumble, “I want you to be happy in this, too.”

Kravitz smiled happily. “Thank you, Taako.”

“No problem, my m-” He didn't get to finish the sentence before Kravitz was kissing him, tongue poking tentatively at the other’s lips. Taako responded readily, opening up and inviting him in. Kravitz could taste the wine on his breath, but mostly he was just lost in how _warm_ Taako was. It was just as intoxicating as the wine, if not more so.

Taako broke away first, breathing heavily. “Man,” he panted, laying his forehead on Kravitz's shoulder, “you're too good to me, bones. But for real,” he pulled back to look him in the eye, “I don't want you to feel rushed or nothin’.”

Kravitz chuckled and pulled him closer. “I'm not, I promise.”

 

A while later, Kravitz took Taako back to the hallway outside his dorm via rift. Kravitz again took the hand he was holding and kissed Taako’s knuckles, but he didn't pull away, and instead just smiled back at him.

Taako wobbled a bit and leaned against the doorframe. “So,” he began, a devilish smile on his lips, “I don't suppose I could invite you inside for some… coffee?” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Kravitz couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. “Not tonight, love, you're a bit too drunk right now.”

“Wow,” Taako said appreciatively, “you really are too good for me.” Kravitz became worried about how Taako thought the bare minimum of courtesy was “too good”.

Taako turned to head inside but stopped short.

“Wait, did you say 'love’?”

 _Fuck_. Kravitz didn't have a good answer to that, so he just stammered, “Y- Yes?” _Shit, he said it too soon, now he's gonna scare him off -_

His thoughts were interrupted by Taako grabbing his lapels and kissing him quickly, before drunkenly whispering in his ear like it was a precious secret, “I love you too, my dude.”

“G’night, Krav,” Taako slurred and winked before slipping through the door.

“Goodnight,” Kravitz mumbled, shellshocked. He wasn't entirely sure Taako would've said that if he were perfectly sober, but Kravitz was going to treasure it anyway. It made him too happy to let doubt get in the way.

\--

Kravitz's Stone crackled to life, low groans coming from it. The necromancer he was fighting was distracted by it for just long enough for Kravitz to bring his scythe down and separate the soul from its ill-gotten body. After making sure the soul was safely contained in the Stockade, Kravitz retreated to his office and answered the call. “'Ello, love.”

There was a moment of silence before he heard, “... Ugh, Krav, your ridiculous work accent is showing. Also, can you not be so _peppy_ when you call in the morning? I woke up with a killer headache.”

Kravitz hummed. “Well, you did catch me at work,” he said more quietly, relaxing into his natural voice. “And _you_ were the one who called me, dear.”

“I did?” There was some shuffling on the other end of the line. “I must've forgot to turn it off last night.” More groans came through. “Just moving my head hurts.”

“Drink water, it'll help,” Kravitz provided, “and if you have any Fantasy Advil, take it.” Something occurred to him, and gods help him but he had to be sure. “Taako… do you remember what happened last night?”

Kravitz heard a sigh. “I remember swiping some wine. It was really good wine. And I remember Neverwinter was beautiful, but it had nothing on you.”

Kravitz was suddenly grateful that Taako couldn't see how easily he blushed at the simple compliment. “Ah… I mean, do you remember what we talked about last night?” _What you told me?_

There was silence for a few excruciating moments. “You know, I thought about lying, homie, but no, I remember it. I remember everything.” A beat as Taako reminisced. “You should kiss me like that more often.”

Kravitz hummed contentedly. “Oh, I will.”

“Ow, fuck, I'm really - my head is really starting to pound, now.”

Kravitz couldn't help but to smile, a little sadly. “Alright, I'll let you go. Remember to drink water. Take care of yourself, love.”

“Yeah, yeah.” And then, so quietly he almost missed it, “Love you, too,” before the line cut off.

There was no stopping the rush of warm affection or the huge grin that spread across Kravitz’s face. He began to whistle a tune, one his heart composed. This was definitely his favorite part of spending so much free time in the Material Plane. He was starting to feel mortal again. He was starting to feel again.

A familiar voice called to him, tugged at the corners of his mind. The Raven Queen requested his presence.

Face-to-face contact was unusual for her, and Kravitz couldn't help but feel a little nervous at the prospect. He quickly mentally ran through what he'd done recently as he walked toward the throne room. Sure, he wasn't doing as much work as he did before he met Taako, but he was still on par with the other reapers in her retinue. He just hoped that spending so much time in the Material Plane wasn't breaking  some rule he was unaware of.

Kravitz approached the throne. It was empty, but this wasn't terribly unusual. Once he was within twenty feet of the dias, he stopped and bowed. As soon as his eyes were averted the sound of hundreds of wings filled the room. He didn't look up until the air stilled and the last echoes of the frenzy died down.

The Raven Queen was there, sitting regal and stoic in her humanoid form. She nearly looked human, save for some subtle differences. There was a thin layer of black feathers covering her arms and neck. Her eyes were entirely black and they stared at him, unblinking.

She smiled widely, softening her expression and posture.

“ _Kravitz_ ,” she said, speaking in that ethereal quality all gods have, “ _it's so good to see you_.”

“It's good to see you as well, my queen.”

“ _My child, you have served me faithfully for the span of many lifetimes_ ,” she started, her tone grave but posture still relaxed. “ _As part of that service, you have a privilege that few souls have ever obtained: movement between the Astral and Material Planes at will. Of course, that privilege comes tempered with responsibility: upholding the balance of life and death, a responsibility you have carried out honorably thus far, with the occasional exception_.” She smiled knowingly.

Kravitz nodded, a little confused. She knew this was nothing new to him, so where was she going with this?

“ _But_ ,” her smile and tone softened, became more genuine, “ _you also have the right to pursue happiness. I'm happy for you, Kravitz. Being in love is a wonderful thing._ ”

Kravitz opened his mouth, possibly to protest, to say “ _'In love’ is a strong phrase_ ”, only to shut it when the Raven Queen started to laugh.

“ _Don't think I haven't noticed how you always seem to have a song in your heart these days. You're talking more, both to your coworkers and to the other souls. You're wearing your - what does he call it? - your 'handsome face’ more often, including now._ ” She smirked. “ _And you're spending increasing amounts of time in the Material Plane_.”

Kravitz blinked and looked down at his hands in surprise. He’s grown so used to it that he didn't even realize he had it on. He reverted to his skeletal form, flesh and hair evaporating from his body. “Forgive me, my queen,” he said, head bowed. He didn't know whether it was a faux pas, but he had always addressed her in this form, so it was all he had to go on.

The Raven Queen waved her hand, chuckling. “ _It's not a criticism, child, just an observation. Although I must say, you need to work on your poker face. You're like an open book_.”

Kravitz straightened up but said nothing, embarrassed.

“ _As I was saying,_ ” she continued, amusement still tinting her voice, “ _you have a right to pursue happiness. So long as you continue to do your job as you are now, what you do in your off hours is none of my business. Besides, the paperwork is mostly a formality. Scare the new reapers into doing their jobs quickly by threatening to check their paperwork_.” She chuckled again, amused by her own centuries-old joke.

“ _Back to my point: you may see your beau whenever you like, provided you continue your reapings. He’s one of Istus’s charges, correct? The wizard?_ ”

Kravitz simply nodded. He knew better than to question how she knew that.

She nodded, contemplative. “ _Interesting coincidence_.” She smirked a bit to herself, as if she told a joke only she understood. “ _I know he already has multiple exceptions, but do make sure to inform me before you do anything rash with him regarding his mortality, or his two compatriots’_.”

Kravitz was a bit taken aback. “Of course, my queen. I would never even _think_ -”

“ _I know, Kravitz, I know_.” She smiled sadly. “ _But love makes you do improbable things_.” She sighed a bit, and became lost in memory.

After a moment, she returned from her reverie. “ _That is all_ ,” the Raven Queen concluded, sounding a bit remorseful. “ _I hope it works out for you_.”

“Thank you, my queen,” Kravitz said, bowing. There was an almost deafening cacophony of wings, and when Kravitz looked up again, the throne was empty.

\--

“So how has work been, babe? Catch any evil necromancers recently?”

They were together on Taako’s couch, Kravitz sitting upright with Taako stretched out casually across his lap, visibly exhausted from his rigorous training. Kravitz hummed in thought, and brought their entwined hands up to press feather-light kisses to every tiny scar on the back of Taako’s hand.

“There was a low-level necromancer yesterday,” Kravitz replied, muffled by Taako’s hand still against his mouth. Taako moved his hand away, smiling, but he didn't let go of Kravitz's. Kravitz grinned back at him. “He was trying to break his loved one out of the Astral Plane, but he had no idea what he was doing. It was almost pitiful, really.”

Kravitz ran his thumb across Taako's knuckles, almost nervous about the next topic. “Also, I spoke to the Raven Queen the other day.”

“Your goddess boss? Is that… bad?” Taako asked, a hint of concern on his face.

The reaper took a moment to gather his thoughts before replying, “It is… unusual that she wanted to speak face-to-face, but it's not bad, necessarily.”

“Soooo…. what did she want to talk about?”

“Me… You… Us.” Kravitz glanced down at Taako; the concern was even more prominent.

“And? Don't leave cha’ boy hangin’!”

Kravitz chuckled a bit. “It was nothing bad, love. Long story short is… she approves, I suppose.”

Taako let out his held breath. “Thank the gods. Or I guess thank the Raven Queen, specifically.” He paused for a moment before shouting, “Thanks, bird mom!”

There was a moment of stunned silence before Kravitz burst out laughing at his boyfriend's ridiculousness, covering his eyes a bit with his hand. Taako began laughing as well, and Kravitz peeked through his fingers to look down at him. Taako’s eyes were squeezed shut as he shuddered with full-bellied laughter. His bleached hair was spread around him almost like a halo, and he looked so beautiful in that moment that Kravitz felt compelled to lean down and kiss him, right then and there. Taako greeted the unexpected feeling of lips against his with a surprised squeak and then a contented hum as he deepened the kiss.

Perhaps “in love” wasn't too strong a phrase after all. There was potential, perhaps, for a future. However, Kravitz was equally happy to enjoy the now. There was no need to rush, after all.

 

**Author's Note:**

> And the award for overuse of italics (and parentheticals) goes to....
> 
> anyway my first draft had over a page and a half of just italics because it was a flashback sequence, so like, your eyes are welcome for rewriting that.
> 
> and there's no real reason that all of RQ's dialogue is italicized except that it looks cool, okay??
> 
>  
> 
> feel free to follow my taz tumblr [@zestycheck](https://zestycheck.tumblr.com)


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